NEWSLETTER
For a while, it didn’t seem as if Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks would even be on the Bears’ radar. Mostly because there was an expectation he’d be long gone by the time the Bears went on the clock with a pick.
However, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports things are lining up for Burks and the Bears to get to know each other this week:
More visits:
— #Houston DL David Anenih has a Top 30 visit with the #Bengals this week, and he’s had the #Vikings, #Cowboys, and #Colts.
— #PSU S Jaquan Brisker will visit the #49ers tomorrow.
— #Arkansas WR Treylon Burks visits the #Bears and #AZCardinals early this week.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 18, 2022
There has been recent chatter regarding Burks’ falling draft stock. Here is a snippet of what we had to say when it came to Burks and a plausible Bears fit at the time:
The Arkansas product checks in at 6-3 and 225 pounds, which gives him the ideal build of a boundary receiver a team like the Bears would dram about lining up on the other side of the field from Darnell Mooney. Burks is one of college football’s most accomplished pass-catchers. He earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2019, second-team all-conference nods in 2019 and 2020, and first-team All-SEC distinction in 2021. His most productive season came in his final year with the Razorbacks, catching 66 passes for 1,1014 yards and 11 touchdowns. He even added 14 carries, 112 rushing yards, and a ground score for good measure. There are a bunch of high-upside receivers in this draft. But Burks’ résumé is a doozy.
Everything still rings true. And that the Bears are planning to visit the standout pass-catcher further drives our interest. Justin Fields needs players to throw to on the outside. And it sure would be swell if the team could get him one who could grow with him as they make their way through the league. But the Bears don’t have a first-round pick, which complicates their efforts to add impact talent in the draft. However, Burks being worthy of a first-round grade who could slip into the second presents a unique opportunity. Maybe Chicago wants to target help in the trenches with their first few picks. That’s fair. But I’m not sure they should do so at the expense of adding a potential premier talent on the outside.
It boils down to this (for me): If Burks drops into the Bears’ laps, the juice could be worth the squeeze. At minimum, Burks’ draft stock is a situation the Bears need to be monitoring closely on draft weekend.
In the end, the Bears-Burns visit drives home a few things for me. Firstly, there is a fluid situation when it comes to the receivers who could go between picks 20-50 in the upcoming NFL Draft. This could benefit the Bears in a big way depending on how the draft board falls. Plus, with the range of receivers who could plausibly be first-round picks being as large as it is, the Bears could conceivably land a first-round caliber talent with either of its second-round picks. Secondly, Chicago could be getting its ducks in a row just in case one of those first-round receivers becomes available when the team goes on the clock. After all, you don’t have to get ready if you always stay ready.
